Matteo Lane Is Heading to Broadway! Comedian to Make Debut as Billy Flynn in “Chicago” (Exclusive)
Matteo Lane Is Heading to Broadway! Comedian to Make Debut as Billy Flynn in “Chicago” (Exclusive)
Dave QuinnWed, June 3, 2026 at 1:03 PM UTC
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Matteo Lane at Hulu's 'Hularious' celebration at The Strand on Dec. 3, 2024 in New York City
Credit: Dia Dipasupil/Getty
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Matteo Lane will play Billy Flynn in Broadway's Chicago, PEOPLE can exclusively reveal
The comedian's run begins June 22 at the Ambassador Theatre in New York City
Chicago is Broadway's longest-running American musical and will celebrate its 30th anniversary this fall
Chicago is getting a dose of comedy star power this summer.
Matteo Lane will join the cast of Broadway's long-running hit musical as slick-talking lawyer Billy Flynn beginning Monday, June 22 at the Ambassador Theatre in New York City, PEOPLE can exclusively announce.
The comedian, actor and singer will take over the role from Nik Walker. The musical's current company includes Rachel Schur as Roxie Hart, Sophie Carmen-Jones as Velma Kelly, Jacqueline B. Arnold as Matron “Mama” Morton, Greg Hildreth as Amos Hart and R. Lowe as Mary Sunshine.
Lane, 39, is currently touring internationally with his We Gotta Catch Up tour. Since launching his first worldwide tour, he has sold out venues including Radio City Music Hall, Carnegie Hall, The Chicago Theatre and The Kennedy Center.
He has also released several comedy specials, including The Al Dente Special, Hair Plugs & Heartache and The Advice Special. Lane's onscreen credits include Abbott Elementary and Survival of the Thickest, as well as Netflix's all-queer stand-up special Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution.
Matteo Lane
Credit: Sela Shiloni
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Speaking with PEOPLE last year, the entertainer opened up about his journey to standup, explaining that a career in comedy had long felt like his destiny.
“Even when I was four, I said I wanted to be a famous comedic actor like Jim Carrey. I knew I had something,” he said. “It was always the feeling of something else is waiting for me. And once I found standup, that feeling left me. I thought, ‘This is my goal in life. I'm doing this forever.' It's kind of felt like a calling.”
He also joked about his dream stage role. “I would play Fanny Brice in Funny Girl,” he laughed. “Maybe one day, before my voice gives out.”
The marquee for Broadway's 'Chicago' at the Ambassador Theatre in New York City
Credit: John Lamparski/Getty
Funny Girl may not be in the cards right now, but Chicago isn't a bad alternative.
The revival is Broadway's longest-running American musical and will celebrate its 30th anniversary this fall.
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Penned by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, Chicago follows killers Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, two murderesses who use their criminal notoriety to find fame in the Vaudeville circuit.
Its score, with music by John Kander and lyrics by Ebb, features some of the most beloved songs in musical theater history, including “All That Jazz,” “When You're Good to Momma,” “Roxie,” and “Razzle Dazzle.”
Chita Rivera celebrates the 10th anniversary of 'Chicago' on Broadway
Credit: James Devaney/WireImage
Chicago originally premiered in 1975 with legendary leading ladies Gwen Verdon and Chita Rivera playing Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, respectively. The 1996 revival, directed by Walter Bobbie, first starred Ann Reinking and Bebe Neuwirth.
That production won six Tony Awards in 1997, including Best Musical Revival, and remains a fixture on Broadway nearly three decades later.
An all-star film adaptation was released in 2002 with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Renée Zellweger in the lead roles, alongside a superstar cast including Richard Gere, Taye Diggs, Christine Baranski and Queen Latifah as Mama Morton. The movie went on to win six Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress for Zeta-Jones.
Prior to Lane's debut in Chicago, the musical will celebrate its milestone anniversary with a special performance during the 2026 Tony Awards on Sunday, June 7.
The tribute will feature an eclectic lineup of stars, including Tony Awards host Pink as well as fellow Grammy winner Queen Latifah, who previously earned an Academy Award nomination for portraying Matron "Mama" Morton in the 2002 film adaptation of the musical.
Tony winners Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Alex Newell and Adrienne Warren will be part of the performance, too, alongside Dancing with the Stars co-host Julianne Hough and two influencers who made their Broadway debuts this season: Whitney Leavitt and Dylan Mulvaney.
Leavitt's debut actually came in Chicago. The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star's run in the musical was a huge draw, breaking all sorts of box office records.
Tickets for Chicago are now on sale.
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